Raceway with obstacles for toy vehicles



March 24, 1970 'r. wo| 3,502,332

RACEWAY WITH OBSTACLES FOR TOY VEHICLES Filed March 5, 1967 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I.

-" NI SJ) 5 s a Q i ,1 R ER 7am Wolf Mme ATTORNEY March 24, 1970 'r. WOLF RACEWAY wmz OBSTACLES FOR TOY VEHICLES 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 5, 1967 FIG. I0.

FIG. 2.

INVENTOR Tobin Wolf ATTORNEY March 24, 1970 T. WOLF RACEWAY WITH OBSTACLES FOR TOY VEHICLES '7 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 5, 1967 INVENIOR ATTORNEY March 24, 1970 T. WOLF RACEWAY WITH OBSTACLES FOR TOY VEHICLES 7 Sheets-Sheet 4.

Filed March 5, 1967 FIG. 5.

n m m 1 2 o M f 0 J M fiw y I 4 .n w I 9 m V m T 3 m 8 u w i W2 M 7 7 9 u v 4 W/X 1 FIG. 6.

March 24, 1970 T. WOLF 3,502,332

RACEWAY WITH OBSTACLES FOR TOY VEHICLES Filed March 5, 1967 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 L\% I 1 :3; MM. o llllllllll W I v m Q i I ii :1 38\ 11%, Q N H g lg i Q as w x l m 1 Q Q IIMW F a INVENTQR Tobin Wolf %7 ATTORNEY March 24, 1970 "r. W OLF RACEWAY WITH OBSTACLES FOR TOY VEHICLES 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed March 5, 1967 HER INVENT OR Tab/n Wolf ATTORNEY T. WOLF RACEWAY WITH OBSTACLES FOR TOY VEHICLES March 24, 1970 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed March 5, 1967 INVENT OR Tobin Wolf United States Patent 3,502,332 RACEWAY WITH OBSTACLES FOR TOY VEHICLES Tobin Wolf, 447 Essex Ave., Bloomfield, NJ. 07003 Filed Mar. 3, 1967, Ser. No. 620,417 Int. Cl. A63f 9/14 U.S. Cl. 27386 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A racing toy having an obstacle course to be negotiated by racing cars or the like can be quickly assembled from the packaged condition in which it is stored. The course comprises a plurality of tracks arranged in an accelerating section and a coasting section. The sections are separated by a gap which can be adjusted in length to provide an initial obstacle to be negotiated by the racers. The terminal portion of each track is provided with a number of obstacles to slow the racers. A marble is held in a depression at the end of each track and is arranged to be struck and released from the depression by each racer. Each marble is guided by a chute into a trough. The order of marbles in the trough determines the order of finish of the racers.

This invention relates to a racing game or toy and more particularly to a toy in which a number of miniature racing cars compete.

Racing toys are well known but do not provide excitement and interest other than the mere race itself. They are often of short dimensions and the race is over in such a short period of time that the players do not reach the peak of excitement and interest which is possible to attain. Furthermore, toys having race courses are usually made of a permanent construction and are not easily disassembled for storage purposes and quickly assembled for use.

It is an object of this invention to produce a toy as aforesaid which can be quickly assembled and disassembled.

It is a further object of this invention to produce a toy as aforesaid in which the length of the course can be varied.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a toy racing game having a gap jump with means to maintain the car in its lane after the jump.

It is a yet further object of this invention to provide a toy racing game having several types of speed retarding devices in each lane to lengthen the time period for the race.

It is an even further object of this invention to provide a race winner determining device composed of plural marbles actuated by the completion of the race by each vehicle, the order of finish of the marbles in a slot indicating the order of finish of the vehicles.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of one form of the invention;

FIGURE .2 is an illustration of the finish line of another form of the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation of the first section of the course to a larger scale than illustrated in FIGURE 1;

3,502,332 Patented Mar. 24, 1970 FIGURE 4 is a section taken on the line 44 of FIG- URE 3 and showing a racing vehicle on the track;

FIGURE 5 is a view taken on the line 5-5 of FIG- URE 3;

FIGURE 6 is a view in section showing details of the starting gate;

FIGURE 7 is a view along the line 77 of FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 is a plan view of the second section of the course to a larger scale than illustrated in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 9 is a section along the line 9-9 of FIG- URE 8;

FIGURE 10 is a view taken along the line 1010 of FIGURE 8;

FIGURE 11 is a view taken along the line 1111 of FIGURE 8;

FIGURE 12 is a plan view of the tie bar;

FIGURE 13 is a plan view of the third section of the course to a larger scale than illustrated in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 14 is a section taken along the line 14-44 of FIGURE 13;

FIGURE 15 is a section taken on the line 15-15 of FIGURE 13; and

FIGURE 16 is a view taken along the line 1616 of FIGURE 13.

In accordance with the invention the'race course is composed of a plurality of interconnectable sections. A gap between the first two sections introduces a first obstacle which must be negotiated by each racer in order to continue in the race. The forward end of the second section includes guide members in the road bed for guiding the vehicles into their assigned lanes after the jump and preventing lane crossover. Steps at the end of the second section between the wheel bottoms and chassis bottoms of the vehicles operate to slow down the racers and must also be negotiated in order for the vehicle to continue in the race. Spaced bars or slots on the third section of the raceway further slow down the racers and present a third obstacle which must be negotiated before the finish. The race is concluded, according to one embodiment, by the actuation of a marble by each vehicle upon completion of the race, the actuated marbles travelling along preassigned paths into a common slot. The order of marbles in the slot will determine the order of finish, therebv preventing possible bickering in the event of a close finish.

With reference to the drawings, there is shown in FIGURE 1 a racing course comprising an accelerating section 2, a second section 4 removably spaced from the accelerating section by a tie bar 6, and a third section 8 removably secured to the second section. The accelerating and second sections are retained in spaced apart relation to provide a gap 10 while the second and third sections are held in contact. Each section has integral therewith a plurality of ribs 12 and side walls 14 and 16 to thereby define trackways for guiding the racing vehicles along the course. While only three sections are illustrated, it is obvious that more sections can be added or the third section eliminated to thereby provide a racecourse which can be varied in length.

Accelerating section 2 comprises a starting ramp 18 of slight slope on which wheeled racing vehicles are held at the starting line, a ramp 20 of a steep slope to impart the desired velocity to the vehicles, and a reverse slope 22 for putting the vehicles in a proper trajectory for negotiating the first obstacle shown as the gap 10. A support 11 is secured to the section in order to provide the proper slope for the ramps.

The second section is a coasting section upon which the cars coast after receiving their racing speed from the accelerating section and is of undulating form with the crest of the highest undulation aligned with the first section and the trackways on each section aligned. Each trackway is provided at one end with guide ribs for guiding the vehicles onto the trackways after jumping the gap in the event that there is deviation from the proper course. The outside lanes are provided with guides 24 arranged to make an angle with side Walls 14 and 16 and are of greater height than ribs 12. The guides 26 and 28 for the inside lanes are arranged in the form of a V and are of a greater height than ribs 12. All the guides extend over the crest of the highest undulation and are spaced from ribs 12, 14 and 16 a distance slightly greater than the width of wheels W of the races R as clearly shown in FIGURE 10. The opposite end of section 4 is provided with blocks 30 of a height sufficient to raise the Wheels of the racers from the trackway and to frictionally engage the undersides of the racers as shown in FIGURE 11. The frictional engagement thus operates as a brake to slow the speed of the vehicles and constitutes an obstacle to be overcome in order to continue in the race.

The tie bar 6 is shown in detail in FIGURE 6 and is provided with head sections 32 and 34. The head 32 is provided with a single pair of openings 36 and 38 shown as upwardly opening pockets having an open end. The head 34 is provided with a plurality of similar pairs of pockets 40, 42, 44, 46 and 48, 50.

Section 2 is provided with a web 52 having a pair of tabs 54 and 56. Section 4 is provided with a web 58 provided with similar tabs 60. The tabs 54 and 56 are received in openings 36, 38 and the tabs 60 are received selectively in one of the pairs of openings 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50 to vary the size of the gap.

The third section is also made in undulating form as illustrated in FIGURE 14 and is provided with a plurality of spaced bars 62 to define the surface of the trackway and is a rough obstacle that must be negotiated before the finish line. The end of each trackway is formed with a depression 64 for receiving a ball 66 in a position to be bumped by a racer. A plurality of wedges 68 are located at the end of the trackways and ribs 70 and 72 taper inwardly from the outer walls to define a plurality of chutes for conducting the balls as they are struck by the racing vehicles at the end of the race. The ends of the chutes lead toward a pocket 7-4 for receiving the balls in the order rolled down the chutes after being struck by the vehicles. The portion of the section adjacent the finish is formed with bleacher seats 76.

One end of section 4 is formed with tabs 78 and 80 and holes 82 and 84. One end of section 4 is formed with pins 86 which are received in holes 82 and 84, to connect sections 4 and 8. The tabs also support the end of section 4.

A barrier 86 is pivotally mounted in a slot 88 in the starting ramp and is urged into the vertical or holding position as shown in FIGURE 6 by a spring 90 connected to ears 92 and 94 integral with the barrier and ramp. A handle 96 is formed integral with the barrier for pivoting the barrier to the starting position shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 6. A checkered flag 98 is mounted on a staff 100 which is secured in a support 102 integral with the handle 96. A plurality of colored flags 104 are similarly mounted in supports 106 spaced along the course.

In use, a colored ball or marble is placed in each of the depressions 64 and the racing vehicles are lined up against the barrier 86. The race is started by pivoting the handle 96 to lower the barrier. After negotiating the course and obstacles the vehicles will strike the colored balls 66 to dislodge them from the depressions 64 and send them down the chutes. The halls are received in pocket 74 in the order of finish of the vehicles. By assigning a different color to each ball the order of finish is easily determined since the first struck ball will be the first one in the pocket and the others will be in the order in which they are struck. In order to account for the difference in the distances between the pocket and the finish line the balls are placed at different distances in the entrances to the chutes, such that the distance between each ball in the depressions and the pocket is the same.

If desired section 8 can be eliminated to thereby produce a shorter course. The finish line is then formed by a line 108 supported by pedestals 110. Flags 112 can be mounted on the line if desired.

Though the invention has been disclosed with respect to certain preferred embodiments thereof, many variations and modifications thereof will immediately become apparent to those skilled in the art. It is therefore the intention that the appended claims he inerpreted as broadly as possible in view of the prior art to include all such variations and modifications.

What is claimed is:

1. A raceway for toy racing vehicles comprising an accelerating section and a second coasting section, means holding the sections spaced apart to define a gap therebetween, a plurality of trackways formed on one section aligned with respective trackways formed on the other section, and guide means on the second section adjacent the gap for guiding the vehicles from the gap onto the respective trackway, further including at least one additional section, a plurality of trackways on said additional section aligned with the respective trackways of the second section, an obstacle in each of the trackways of said additional section, and means securing the additional section to the second section, wherein the obstacle in each of the trackways of the additional section comprises a plurality of spaced parallel bars transversely of the trackway.

2. A raceway for toy racing vehicles comprising an accelerating section and a second coasting section, means holding the sections spaced apart to define a gap therebetween, a plurality of trackways formed on one section aligned with respective trackways formed on the other section, and guide means on the second section adjacent the gap for guiding the vehicles from the gap onto the respective trackway, further including at least one additional section, a plurality of trackways on said additional section aligned with the respective trackways of the second section, an obstacle in each of the trackways of said additional section, and means securing the additional section to the second section, further including a chute at the end of each trackway in said additional section, a pocket at the free end of the said additional section, and a guideway connecting the chutes with the pocket.

3. A raceway as defined in claim 2, further including a spherical depression at the entrance to each chute for supporting a ball, the distance between each depression and the pocket being the same.

4. A raceway for toy racing vehicles having a chassis bottom and wheels, comprising an accelerating section and a second section, each said section having plurality trackways, said second section including means in each trackway extending therefrom for decelerating said vehicle, said means comprising a step extending lengthwise of the trackway, the height of said step being greater than the distance from the bottom of said wheels to the bottom of said chassis, wherein said step extends upstream in said trackway, the width of said step decreasing in the upstream direction to steer said vehicles over said step.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 750,545 1/1904 McL. Keen 27386 1,449,565 3/1923 Vogel 27386 X 3,402,503 9/1968 Glass et al. 27386 X (Other references on following page) 5 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES 812,595 2/1906 Roberts 46202 Playthings Publication, December 1964, p. 73, vol. 62.

1,374,844 4/1921 Flatow 273-86 X 1,776,640 9/ 1930 Simmons 10456 ANTON O. OECHSLE, Prlmary Examiner 310451393 7/1962 K110 273 86 X 5 THOMAS ZACK, Assistant Examiner 3,218,757 11/1965 Benkoe 46202 3,226,121 12/1965 Goldfarb 27386 U.S. Cl. X.R.

3,233,363 2/1966 Maury 46243 46202 

